Remake of Groundbreaking Miniseries Roots in the Works

Remake of Groundbreaking Miniseries Roots in the Works

The 1977 classic will get an update.

Published November 6, 2013

The History Channel announced plans to remake the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries Roots, Deadline.com reports. The network is prepping an eight-hour remake of the series, which is one of the most watched of all time.

The original series, based on Alex Haley's eponymous book, starred LeVar Burton as Kunta Kinte, an African man sold into slavery. Roots followed Kinte's lineage for three generations, covering a wide swath of American history along the way. The celebrated series earned a whopping 37 Emmy nominations, including a Best Music win for Quincy Jones.

Slavery, emancipation and civil rights have been big themes of several Hollywood films this past year, including last year's Oscar winner Django Unchained, Lee Daniels' The Butler and 12 Years a Slave.

No announcements have been made as yet about who will play Kinte and the various members of his family in this reboot, nor has a premiere date been revealed.

BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.